St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-19


~callings: it isn't that
he thinks they are easy to dO-oh, no, it
is pure egOtism.
10 be a successful hotel man requires
not only training and experience, but
an innate sense of that peculiar some
thing which is ineXplicable; like poets,
politicians and trampS. hotel man is
born, not made. He must be possessed
of the divine afflatus, otherwise his ca
reer will be short lived.
The proprietor is naturally the most
important feature of a hotel. The
popularity of his house depends in no
small degree upon the popularity of
himself. and be he a FOUNDER prince
of good fellows, lone of the boys" fond
Of good story and good liquor--and
dispensing good stories and good liq-
uOrs himself-he need have no fear as
to his future. If he happens to have no
manager his Importance as well as his
IabOrS are increased tWO-fOld. but he
should have manager. a proprietor
ought never to be other than figure
head. He should satisfy himself with
doing the ornamental.
America is the paradise of hotel pro-
prietOrS. as well as hotels. In Europe
he is not much better than head
waiter. In America he is a potentate;
he thinks something of himself, as well
as beng thought something of. He US
ually has a fast horse OF two, wears
brilliants of some value and clothing of
unquestiOnable quality and cut. He has
q family of beautiful daughters and is a
power in his locality.
When Dickens visited America upon
his lecture tour he stopped one night at
a celebrated hotel in Louisville. whose
proprietor was well-knOwn and highly
esteemed SOutherner. As was usual,
the lecturer held a levee that night in his
rooms to those Of his admirers who
wished to call upon him, and among
others came the proprietor of the hotel.
W hen Dickens learned that this partic-
ular visitor who desired to pay homage
10 his genius was the landlord, he drew
himself up, fixed him with a strong
stare and said in frigid voice:
Landlord, when want you I'll ring
for YOU" The report states that the
landlord was with difficulty restrained
from pitching his guest unceremOni-
Ously out of the window Whether this
was snObbery or ignorance it illustrates
the different standing of English land
lords from that of our own.
Next to the proprietor i'll importance
comes the steward. Upon that official
deyOlyes the entire ''dOWn-StairS'' man
agement. He it is who does the mar
keting, and he also has the entire super
vision of the culinary department, the
wine cellar and the stOreToOnI. He is
the right hand of the proprietor or man
ager, and he receives salary cOmmenSu-
rate with his duties ndrespOnsibilitieS
Under him he has staff of employees,
who, while perhaps being at the head
of some Sub-department. are account
able to him alone. Of these the chief
cOok-with his imumerable assistants
the StOrekeeper, the diShWashers, yard
men, engineers and other help en-
plOyed in the kitchen, as well as the
dinlng-rOOm walters, are all under his
orders.
The menage of hotel may be divided
into three separate and distinct
branches, as follows: The stewards
hOuSekeeper'S department. The pro-
prietOr or manager is the great mogul,"
and the heads of these departments are
the ''grand viziers.''
The Office, OF the front of the house."
as it is technically known, is presided
over by the chief clerk. Ha. How ones
breath is held i'll such presence! He
is assisted by several clerks, and in the
larger hotels by a boOkkeeper and cash
ier. The bell-bOyS, pOrterS and watch
men are also under his orders. A good
hotel clerk must be walking encyclO-
pedia, a city directory, railway, steam
boat and postal guide. and, in short. a
fountain of universal knowledge. With
all his faults, no man is more maligned
than the hotel clerk. In current fiction
and in the columns of humorous
papers, he is described as naughty
and unapprOachable despot, who, en-
trenched behind an enormous diamond
shirt stud, and Sheathed i'll the impene-
trable armOr of his cOnceit, Supercil-
iOuSly assigns trembling travellers,
aghaSt at his magnificent and lOrdly
presence, to remote and cherries cham
bers at the top of the house. In reality,
the average clerk is the most good-na-
turcd and accommodating of mOrtalS.
Were he not of a serene and placid ma
ture he would long since have deco
rated a cemetery. or have been the shin
ing ornament of many lunatic asylum.
He is expected to be pleasant and atten-
tive under the most trying circum
stances. to remember everybody by
name. and all their peculiaritieS and ec-
ccntricitieS, to give everyone the best
room in the house. TO laugh at every
numerous anccdOte, no matter how an
tique, OF of what degree of cheStnutty
flavor. to lend a sympathetic ear to every
traveller who is in distress. or who i'm
AGNES lie is, which is much the same
thing, and, i'll general. to be good Sa
maritan. q ail-fellOw-well-met, a cice-
rome TO commercial men who are bent
upon making night of it." and a
guide to all the various qualifications of
the Smith and Jones family with whom
the ambitious coUntryman desires to be-
come acquainted.
The housekeeper has charge of the
entire up stairs department: the
chambermaids, SeamstresSes, linen
room girls, and laundreSSeS, being un-
der her supervision.
In q hotel of 800 rooms, number
which is of course exceed by many
houses in the large cities, but which is
an average-siZed established, the hired
help would usually consist of the fol-
lowing personnel:
Office-Chief clerk, bookkeeper and
cashier, day clerk, room clerk, NIGHT
clerk, six bell boys, three pOrters and a
Waterman.
Stewards Department-Steward. chief
cook, pastry cook, two assistant cooks,
vegetable COOK. StOTekcepcT. NedU
waiter, from twelve to fifteen walters,
two kitchen helpers, two dishwasherS,
butcher, baker. yardmaE. engineer, as
siStant engineer. two tiremen and car
penter.
H0usekeeper's Departmental House
keeper, linen room girl and seamstress,
from fifteen to twenty chambermaidS
and several laundresses.
If the house contained an elevator,
which would probably be the case in
any city, this force would be increased
10y two elevator boys, and where the
bar was run under the hotel manage
ment. chief bartender and two assist
ants would be required. \ billiard
room and cafe in addition would natur-
ally require service.
In the matter of salaries and wages
there is difference caused By the 10
cali;y in which tie hotel is situated, but